Time
by Oklina
Summary: After thirty years, the old gang meets again at a funeral. From one confused person's point of view. OneShot


I was listening to My Immortal by Evanescence and my imagination went into hyperdrive. This is just a little one-shot told in first person (which is unusual for me). Oh, and if you find you _really_ like this and want to see if I have any other yugioh stories, here's my advice: read at your own risk.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh. So don't sue.

Time

I wipe my cheek. Not that it did much good, with the rain and all. The tears didn't help much either.

Thunder rumbled softly overhead. Cold water plastered the black shirt to my body, soaking my nicest jeans. I shoved my long soppy blonde hair out of my eyes. Eyes that watched as the black coffin was lowered into the ground.

The world was crying.

It made sense, really. After all, he _had_ saved it so many times. I never did get the final count, though.

Anzu is the first to step forward. She went on to be a dancer, just like she said she would. She nearly made it to the big leagues too. Then she ran into him.

Anzu is sobbing. Her hands are shaking so badly she can barely hold the shovel to toss dirt upon the body of her husband. Can't blame her. I'd be shaking to.

Never mind, I _am_ shaking.

I hadn't expected it to be this hard. I mean I hadn't seen the guy in, what? Thirty-some years? So why am I shaking like a leaf? Why am I blubbering like a baby? Why am I even _here_?

But I'm not the only one.

The whole gang is here too. Granted, the majority of the people at the service I've never seen before. Yet…it's the old gang that is standing out in the rain, not huddled in the cars.

Honda is standing off to the side with his hands shoved in his coat pockets. He looks how I feel. Cold, wet, and confused. His wife is one of those in the cars.

My little sister is crying into Ryuuji's shoulder. They got married as soon as Shizuka finished collage. I was kind of surprised when I saw them at the service. Shizuka hadn't told me they were coming. Then again, I hadn't told her I was coming either.

Kaiba's the next to take the shovel. If Shizuka had surprised me, seeing the Kaiba brothers had nearly given me a heart attack. I mean, this is _Kaiba_ we're talking about! _Seto _Kaiba! You know, the multi-billionaire? Yeah, him.

He hasn't changed much, besides the obvious getting older. He's wearing glasses now. Too much computer work if you ask me.

Mokuba is here too. His hair is _much_ shorter now, but at least it isn't combed to perfection like his brother's.

Mokuba's the only one holding an umbrella; I can see he's crying. Kaiba doesn't have an umbrella. I _think_ he might be crying. You can never tell with Kaiba. Maybe that's why he doesn't have an umbrella on him.

Ryou Bakura has his arms wrapped around himself. I get the feeling it's not from the cold. He looks like he can't decide on whether to just stand there numb-like or burst into hysterics. It seems like a very painful debate. Makes me cringe just watching.

Ryou was a shock too. He was never really part of the gang. That and the fact is last I checked, Ryou had settled down in England. England to Japan for a funeral. Do therapists get that much cash to spend?

I think he's going to need his own after this.

I might too.

The Ishtars are standing in the back. Personally, I believe they're only here because of the whole reincarnation bit. Though I'm starting to wonder if Malik plans on breaking for it. I've never seen the guy so tense before.

Rebecca is here too. No teddy though. Just Leon, her fiancé. Poor guy. If the rain doesn't soak him through, Rebecca will. Then again, he's only a hair away from losing it himself. What a right cheerful lot we make up.

"Katsuya?"

I jolt out of my thoughts. Mai, my beautiful wife, is holding out that shovel, the one that Anzu and Kaiba had used.

To me.

I bite my lower lip and take it, with a lot of hesitation. My hand is shaking almost as bad as Anzu's. Why am I here again? I never did get an answer for that.

"Jou."

I find myself blinking down into the six foot hole, shaking like crazy. I turn to Kaiba. He's the one who spoke. Now that I'm closer I can see that he _is_ crying. But he's also got the answer.

"It's time."

Time. Time to say good-bye. Time to say I'm sorry. Sorry for not being there. Sorry for being too late.

I stare down at that looming black coffin. The coffin that held my old best friend. My old best friend who I hadn't seen or talked to in thirty years. Who I had saved the world with, joked around with, and dueled with. Who had saved me back in my teenage years from a drunk father; who I hadn't been able to save from a drunk driver.

The dirt, more like mud now, fell to join Anzu's and Kaiba's.

"I'm so sorry Yug. I should've been there. All those years. I'm sorry, man."

Tears are streaming down my face, or maybe it's the rain. Tears from the heavens. Kaiba takes the shovel from my benumbed hands. He's standing next to me, his hand on my shoulder. I look at him. He nods.

The dam bursts.

Time can forget some things. Time can heal other things. But there are some things that time can not erase. Friendship being one. That is why the gang is here. That is why I am here.

That is why I am crying into Seto Kaiba's shoulder.

Friendship, no matter how old, can never be broken.

It can never be erased.


End file.
